About
ABOUT HARAMOUN MARATHON ASSOCIATION (HMA)

HMA is a nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by a few volunteers with a passion for sports, nature, healthy living and social work. Quickly, HMA grew to become a nationwide promoter of sport as a main agent for progress and social change, especially in South Lebanon, a region in desperate need for development.

 

OUR OBJECTIVES

Sports & Health: Encouraging running and sports in general among amateurs, while giving professionals the chance to compete, as well as promoting healthy living through sports activities, especially outdoor.

Tourism & Economy: Promoting sports tourism in Lebanon, especially in the South, and helping the local community in promoting local goods and crafts in the Khan Market, one of the most prominent landmarks in the region.

Culture & Community: Empowering marginalized groups, especially women, people with special needs, and refugees, and facilitating their integration into the society, as well as promoting the sports culture, particularly among young people. In addition to strengthening the spirit of national unity and raising awareness on the importance of sports in sustainable development and reduction of conflicts.

Awareness & Charity: Enabling organizations and charities to advance their missions, while helping the local community enjoy sports and social activities.

 

WHY “HARAMOUN”?
Haramoun is of great cultural, humane, and religious value. It is God’s holy mountain and the home of the Amalekites, as stated in the Torah.
It is said that Jesus Christ chose Haramoun’s highest peaks for transfiguration. From this mountain, stones were collected to build the Kaaba in Mecca.
It is also the mountain of Cedars where Gilgamesh found the “plant of life”.
On the foothills of Haramoun, Phoenicians established the Khan Market (Souk el Khan), one of the oldest markets in the region, home to olive trees since sixty thousand years.